Marquette University is cracking down on student misuse of generative AI tools amid rising academic integrity concerns.
The issue started when a student submitted an AI-generated academic article summary. The text was entirely fabricated by ChatGPT—no real sources, just probabilistic word strings. The student wasn’t penalized because it wasn’t plagiarism, but the case exposed deeper problems.
Another student used a chatbot to “find a quote” in a YouTube video that didn’t exist. They failed to cite the bot and were found guilty of violating the honor code. Yet another based an entire essay on made-up quotes produced by Microsoft Copilot, off-topic and inaccurate. 
Jacob Riyeff, Marquette’s director of academic integrity, says this is bigger than plagiarism. Students often don’t grasp that AI text isn’t real knowledge. They confuse probabilistic outputs for credible facts.
Riyeff called out the idea that “AI literacy” alone can fix this:
“People tend not to learn what they do not want to learn. If our students … see computing as an intrinsic good, AI must be a powerful and helpful tool. It must not need discipline or critical acumen … all these educators telling you not to offload your cognition must be behind the curve.”
He warns that AI hype clashes with reality, and just teaching digital skills won’t solve students’ disconnect from truth or ethical use.
The university is experimenting with new assessment methods to combat AI misuse: research journals, oral exams, essays focusing on students’ unique voices, and hands-on activities instead of predictable essays chatbots handle easily.
Riyeff urges educators to rethink pedagogy, reduce reliance on computers for everything, and build personal relationships that foster genuine learning.
“If we refuse to give up on humanistic, liberal education, then what do we do? … We have to change our pedagogy. We have to change the ways we interact with our students … to cultivate personal relationships with them whenever possible.”
Marquette’s approach highlights growing challenges in managing AI’s impact on education integrity. The university favors human-centered learning over automated shortcuts.
